arts and leisure

weeks are filled to the brim around here. y’all feel me.

the days are full of work and play and school and meet-ups and meetings and meals and gatherings and small groups. good things, for sure. but filling, nonetheless. come friday evening, our brains are tired. and while we aren’t very good at shutting the gray cells OFF, we are quite adept at switching gears.

on the weekends, our minds and bodies stay active but in very different ways. there is a focus on artful pursuits. leisurely activities. e x t e n d e d conversations. less computer time, more face time. less to-do lists, more books and newspapers. less rushing, more resting. less hustle, more feet up and curling up. more restorative practices.

ben and i just aren’t the type of people who can shut it all down. but, we can be mindful and make time to be still. to savor. to be nourished. to recharge. to reconnect. these precious moments as a couple – as a family – within our church body and community – these moments are more than just leisure, they are necessities. these moments refill the cup. they refocus. they reestablish the important things.

i’m sure you have seen all the HUSTLE memes floating around the interwebs. and i get it. it’s a nice reminder to persevere and push and give it your all. carpe diem! and all that. but around here, the hustle isn’t the issue (or is it?). we’ve got hustle in spades. what we need to be reminded of is REST. to stop. to be still. i need those reminders constantly. stillness is tough for me. i fight it, even. and you can see that even in my weekly exercise. my routine is all about running on weekdays (literally and figuratively, i suppose) and then adding yoga on the weekend. forcing myself into that place of restoration. saturday morning yoga with my man is the hardest and best part of my week. because it is about stillness. staying in that pose. holding. breathing. it is the opposite of how i am wired. it is easy for me to just keep going, to run, to push. and that’s why the weekends are so wonderful. they force me to slow down. to take stock. to be present. and that’s so so good.

CARPE DIEM + CORAM DEO

#restisthenewhustle